Saturday 28 January 2012

Friday Morning With Barbara


On Friday morning I went to help Barbara,
(one of the Coven Quilters) with
a Star Quilt she had started sometime ago and getting
the pieces out again, she wasn't quite sure how they all go together.
There were strips missing from each piece and picking up a pattern
you have left for a while is always difficult.
A real puzzle!
We laid them out on the floor and it then started to come together.
I laid my original Star Quilt underneath and we began to
concentrate on one side of the quilt.
Three hours later, half the quilt star was assembled.
It will look fantastic.
Barbara hopes to give it as a gift when it is finished.
See my Star Quilt on the right of this post.

Silk Quilts and Stitch



Some of my Students come along once a month
to continue their quilt making or enjoy learning
a new technique.
Here Janice shows off her Silk Quilt, a real beauty.
It is made all from triangles and quilted by hand.
Janice is now making a quilted bed runner.
See more of what goes on at Knit Wits
by clicking on the written labels below.

Stripes


These are mother and daughter projects. Mother is making a
table runner in blue and purple strips and daughter
is making a 24" by 56" striped wall hanging in rich colours and
fabrics. lots of textures and trimmings.
Very different ideas but the same technique.
See my Banner and Strip Quilts

Quilts Making at Knit Wits




The last Thursday Quilting Session of the month is,
'Quilting and Patchwork Quilts'. This session
encourages students to tackle new techniques or Quilts
with help.
Above, are a variety of quilting styles, the top,
the beginning of a Sampler Quilt. Each week you learn
a different block, technique and this particular one is a,
'Quilt as You Go'.
The middle pictures are the start of a Rustic 9 patch,
made from a jelly roll and left over scraps.
It is often wise if you are not sure if your
colours go together, is to lay them together or
make a colour swatch, like the one above.
The Blue Windmill Triangle piece is a Sewing Machine Mat
and practices cutting and piecing triangles.
See more of my techniques on my
portfolio site

Friday 27 January 2012

Table Runners at Knit Wits Class


There are lots of different table runners being created at the
classes and these were ones that students had and they just needed
friendly persuasion on how to put them together and finishing.
The bottom one is from Canada and brought as a
pack but the instructions were using different rulers to what
are available here in the U.K. We all love the applique bears and the
border fabric which is to go on next.
The one above is a beautiful Christmas Runner,
very Swedish Inspired.
See more table runners HERE

Thursday 26th January Class at Knit Wits


On Thursdays it Patchwork and Quilting Class at
Knit Wits in Dereham. Lots of new projects being started
and lots of sharing.
See more by clicking the written labels below

Embroidery Guild waxing Lyrical



On Wednesday evening at The Kings Lynn Embroidery Guild
Marion Barnett, who is also an artist @ The Gallery Dereham,
came and gave us a talk on 'Waxing Lyrical'.
She showed us lots of ways of using Wax, crayons, transfer techniques
and heating encaustic wax on a heat plate
to make a mono print textile.
(See the wax on the plate above in the middle).
Marion answered lots of questions and we all
had a feel of the different types of waxed printed fabrics.
Love, Marion's dyed fabrics.
See more of Marion's work on her blog

Wednesday Scrapbooking Class


Kim told us it was the last ScrapBooking Session
as the company that she works for and supplies us with
all the pages, glue pads and extras has withdrawn trading in The U.K.
Sad as we all like the different things Kim brought along
to show us that was on offer and new designs.
Spent a lovely couple of hours with Kim making
scrapbook pages and organising photos,
then I sat and put more on
one of the blank journal pages I had started
putting together a Journal Cover.
See more of the journal pages HERE
See some more of my journals on my
portfolio site


Applique Month



This month at my textile classes the inspiration has been 'Applique',
I have demonstrated 8 different ways of appliqueing
fabrics together.
Here are a few that were being worked on at
the Tuesday Class.

Photos onto Fabric


This week I took the printer in again so that students
could learn how to put their photos and pictures
onto fabric. There are lots of ways of transferring
images onto material but I like using prepared fabric
and an ink jet printer.
The images were of varied things including
fruit and veg labels (above), photographs, etchings and
original artwork.
Everyone learnt the art of preparation and patience!
I will be taking the printer in all of February.

Textile Tuesday 24th January 2012



Lots being created and shared @ The Gallery,
Textile Tuesday class as you can see by the variety above.
Embellishing inspired by rust!
It's alright making samples and trying out techniques,
then sometimes this leads to you wanting to take it further
and make a finished piece which is what
Jenny wants to do over the next weeks.
Barbara had started cutting small family football shirts and
shorts and found it a bit tricky so cut up
bigger ones instead and made the quilt above.
It has a barbed wire fabric on the back
which makes it really fun.
Now she can tackle the smaller ones.
Pat made the delightful bag out of a Chair back Cover
she found in a charity shop, beautiful!
She more of what goes on @The Gallery by
visiting the website or clicking on the labels below.

New Journal 2012






On Monday I got in the studio to work on some pages
that I had been gathering the stuff for since the
beginning of the new year.
I wanted to try sewing more papers, card and ephemera
together.
I had been given a pile of 1970's craft books and
the images were so fun and colourful they yelled to be used.
I don't know about anywhere else but Thrift stores and Charity
shops are finding hard to sell second hand books.
Now I have been taught over a lifetime to cherish books,
so cutting them up is a big deal!
It took some courage to start doing it but as
you can see I had fun.
No first editions were harmed in this process!

New Yarn and Textile Group in our Area



Saturday 21st I went to the first meeting of a new local
group called' West NorfolkYarn and Textile Group'.
It was so friendly and everyone was busy creating,
knitting, spinning,weaving and patchwork.
I knitted a long sample square ready for me to
embellish over. I am taking my embellisher machines
to the next meeting on
the 25th of Feb so people can have a go at Embellishing
their yarns.
10-3 at North Runcton Meeting Hall.
More information about the group is availble from
Trudi Miles
tmiles@camgtp.com

Fabric Shopping at Shan's


Friday 20th of January I saw Jenn in the morninig
for a cup of tea before she jets away on holiday!
And then took myself off to Shan's
in Hunstanton because I needed to buy
particular types of silks and trimmings for the
next makes.
The shop always looks so interesting and full.
I gave myself the chance to really browse in every
little corner as you never know what treasures you
find and whats new.
Lola, Shan's rather large dog was as friendly as ever and
got out of bed when I asked how she was.
Apparently she had been a bit off colour with the weather
but seemed fine!
Shan will be launching her website soon so that
will be grrat to keep up with her new stock.

Monday 23 January 2012

Quilts Making at Knit Wits





It was Quilting Day at knit Wits as well as Applique inspiration.
I love to see all the different fabrics being used to
create wonderful quilts, many f which are recycled.
See more by clicking the written labels below.

Saturday 21 January 2012

Thursday 19th January Class at Knit Wits



Every week I show examples of what can be made and throughout
the month different students are able to make the
different items.
Click the above Title Tab above.
The Photos above are Printed Bags and Scissor Cases made by students
at the Knit Wits Classes.
See my printed bag that inspired these ones HERE

Finished Exploding Box






This is my Exploding Box made with Kim on Wednesdays
Card Making Class @The Gallery.
You can make one by following the video
on my Tech Site